Ice defence freezes potent Dogs attack

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The Melbourne Ice have joined the Melbourne Mustangs at the top of the AIHL ladder with a 3-2 win over the Sydney Ice Dogs in a tense match at the Liverpool Catholic Club ice rink on Sunday night.
 
Ice coach Brent Laver said that his team felt they should have won against Newcastle on the Saturday night as well but was pleased with how his charges responded.
 
“We were pretty unlucky [last night] and probably thought across the three periods we were the better team and the score was 4-2 at the end of the game,” Laver said. “So we went back and only shuffled a few minor little things and set some systems. I couldn’t be prouder of the way they went about it from the first drop of the puck. Everyone was switched on and on board. It was probably our best win of the year.”
 
Ice Dogs coach Andrew Petrie said it was his teams’ slow start that meant they were starting on the back foot.
 
“I thought it was a pretty even contest,” Petrie said. “We started slow and finished strong and they started strong and I don’t want to say they finished slow, but they certainly weren’t as strong in the third period as they were in the first. It’s a constant challenge to have everyone ready to go at the drop of the puck but it seems like we’re the sort of team that needs to get hit a little bit or get scored on to really get woken up. That’s my responsibility and I take full responsibility for it and we’ll be addressing it over the coming month.”
 
The slow start for the Dogs was exacerbated when Matt Armstrong took advantage of a power play to score his ninth of the season and sit second in the league in that statistic, behind only Stephen Blunden of the Brave (10).
 
It was the only strike in a tightly fought period that set the standard for the rest of the game with both teams working hard limiting chances. Although the Ice had 15 shots to the Ice Dog’s four in the first period, the Ice Dogs were hungry for a goal. However, the Ice’s defence continually shut down Ice Dogs forays into the attacking zone.
 
Petrie said that the Ice came with a clear game plan and unfortunately for his side, executed it well.
 
“They certainly came out with a defensive mindset against us,” Petrie said. “I think for the most part, and because they won, it was effective.”
 
Laver said that Ice captain Lliam Webster had been doing an outstanding job after being pushed into the defensive line.
 
“He and Toddy have just done a super job behind that Armstrong, Baclig, Powell line,” Laver said. “We’re really lucky to have them but I think the story of the day is probably the Jeremy Brown, Mitch Humpries and Austin McKenzie line. They’re three kids who are trying to establish themselves in the league and I thought they were just outstanding.”
 
It took until two minutes from the end of the second period with the Ice Dogs enjoying one of only two power plays they received in the match for Brian Funes to find the back of the net.
 
The third period was a more open affair but both teams were unable to break the deadlock until Austin McKenzie got on the board, lifting a difficult chance from a tight angle past Ice Dogs goalie Tim Noting’s glove.
 
The Ice Dogs responded with Simon Barg linking up with John Clewlow to tie the game at 2-all. Barg’s pass, went across the top of the crease with Clewlow receiving it on the other boards before beating Ice goalie Jaden Pine-Murphy from a tight angle to set up a grandstand finish.
 
However, the final twist came with 93 seconds remaining when Jason Baclig took Jeremy Brown with him on two-on-one breakaway with the youngster setting up the import with a perfect tic-tac-toe move past a sprawled Ice Dogs defender to seal a famous victory.
 
With 30 saves from 33 shots, Petrie said that Tim Noting had an outstanding game.
 
“I’ve seen every team play at least twice now and he’s flat out the best shot stopper in the league,” Petrie said. “We need to be responsible in terms of cleaning up the rebounds in front of him but if you had one shot and goalie to make the save, I’d choose him.”
 
For the Ice, Laver said that he was very impressed with Jeremy Brown and how he has played this season so far.
 
“The thing about Jeremy Brown, if you think he’s a good hockey player, he’s about 10 times that as a kid,” Laver said. “He’s just an absolute ripper and a natural leader and takes responsibility on in the room. He goes over there to do the real deal and he comes here and he’s so humble, he’ll listen to instructions and there’s just none of that ego about him. He’s very comfortable in his own skin I think.”
 
With the win, the Ice move equal with the Mustangs at the top of the table, followed closely by the Ice Dogs and Brave only two points behind and the Adrenaline one point behind them.
 
Laver said the closeness of the league is really exciting for fans across the league.
 
“The most exciting thing is that each rink you go into, you just start chatting to people and they say ’I haven’t seen a game that good for ages’,” Laver said. “I think since the three-peat and last year, when we’re in town, other teams turn up to play.”
 
The Ice Dogs take on the Newcastle North Stars in Newcastle next Sunday, while the Ice have a bye next weekend before taking on the Adelaide Adrenaline the following week.